Here I am on the 12th day of a new year, my son in bed, bathed and clean, and the prospect of yet another weekend day tomorrow. It really is a nice feeling to enjoy simple things, and to know that life is not in my own hands but the hands of my creator.

As I sat on the sofa tonight with my wife, reflecting on the year gone by, I again realized how essential it is to our lives that we realize “who’s in charge.” If we think we’re in charge, we’ve got it all wrong. If we think we can shape our destinies, we’re in for a hard and rough ride.

Six months ago I thought I had these plans to do this and to do that. I thought I could find work on my terms. After waiting for a painful amount of time (a time that chiseled away at my pride, transformed me into something better, and defined my faith in God), my current job came through. And working for three months at this job performing functions that were not exactly flattering, I now have some security in a permanent position: relative job security for me, health and insurance benefits for my family. How this came about is a wonderful mystery that I hope God will explain to me one day.

Answer to prayer? Absolutely.

You see, when I though my life was in my own hands, I failed. This was true and proved time and time again in my youth. Yet, when I gave it up, put my trust and faith in God and let Him take the wheel, things like this happen. He makes everything right, because He is righteous and gracious, merciful and true.

I am so thankful to God for really the simplest things that we have. I’m thankful for the people He’s given us in our lives. I’m thankful for a refreshing glass of juice that I can have because He’s provided us with money to buy it. I’m thankful for the strength and physical ability to go for walks, to enjoy my wife and son, and to be able to relish the mild temperatures. I’m thankful for a computer to use, an Internet connection to stay connected, and for a bed to sleep in (soon). I’m thankful that my family is safe, that my wife loves me and cares for me, that my life is not a pot of bickering or tension, but an overflowing pot of laughter and joy, all by God’s grace and love.

Trust in the Lord. Do not seek your own ways. Seek His will in everything, and He will direct your steps. (That is completely my own variation of God’s Scripture, but one that I hope is accurate and relevant.)

May you find more ways to place your faith in Jesus Christ, the only One who can save.

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What I’m reading now

"Wanderlust: A Social History of Travel," by Laura Byrne Paquet (Fredericton:Goose Lane Editions, 2007)
"The Global Soul: Jet Lag, Shopping malls, and the Search for Home," by Pico Iyer (Toronto: Random House of Canada, 2000).
"Outliers: The Story of Success," by Malcolm Gladwell (New York: Little, Brown, and Company, 2008).